Combination letter and package mail-box.



H. R. HUTCHISON & E. U. BAY. COMBINATION LETTER AND PACKAGE MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY 9.1914.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Swvantom;

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

"ED STAES PATENT QFFIQE.

HARRY ROSS HU'ICHISON AND EVELYN URBANUS BAY, OF COLFAX, ILLINOIS.

COMBINATION LETTER AND PACKAGE MAIL-BOX.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Application filed July 9, 1914. Serial No. 849,943.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY Ross HUToH- ISON and EVELYN URBANUS BAY, both citizens of the United States, residing at Colfax, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use- 1 ful Improvements in Combination Letter and Package Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a combination letter and package mail box, particularly designed for use in rural delivery service, the object of the invention being to provide a box which may be expanded from a box of ordinary size to a box of greater dimensions, so that parcel post packages of various sizes may be placed therein and completely protected from the weather.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mail box of the character described having a telescopic bottom, with means for holding the sections thereof normally elevated and collapsed, which means may be conveniently released to allow the telescopic bottom to drop and enlarge the containing capacity of the box when required.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical transverse section through the box, showing the telescopic bottom collapsed and fastened in such condition; and Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the fastener released and the telescopic bottom extended.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the body of our improved mail box, which may be of any suitable form and constructed of any suitable material, but is preferably in generally oblong rectangular form and made of galvanized or other waterproof sheet metal. The front of this box is provided, in practice, with a suitable slot or door, or both, for the introduction and removal of the mail matter.

As shown, the body 1 is open at its base and is provided with a collapsible and extensible bottom consisting of two or more telescopic sections 2 and 3. The inner section 2 is in the form of a ring corresponding in contour to the cross sectional contour of the box body, and is provided at its upper edge with an outwardly and downwardly turned portion or hooked flange formed to engage a correspondingly shaped inturned and hooked flange 5 at the base of the box body, whereby the collapsible bottom when extended will be supported and a watertight joint effected.

The lower end of the telescopic bottom section 2 is formed with an inturned hooked flange 6 similar to the hooked flange 5, for engagement with an outwardly and downwardlv turned hooked flange 7 at the upper edge of the bottom section 3, whereby the said bottom section is supported when the telescopic bottom is extended and a watertight joint between said sections provided. The construction is such that when the collapsible and extensible bottom is telescoped or closed upwardly, the sections of said bottom will lie within the base of the body 1 and form therewith a box of the ordinary type, and when said telescopic sections are depressed or extended, the depth of the box will be increased so that packages or parcels of considerable size may be stored therein. The outer section 3 of the telescopic bottom is closed at its base and provided with a staple 8 which is adapted for engagement with a slot 9 in one, the relatively free and longer, arm 10 of an elbow shaped hasp or fastener 11, the other and shorter arm 12 of which is pivoted to one side of the box body, as shown at 13. The arrangement of this pivot and the length of the arm 12 is such that when the collapsible bottom is telescoped the arm 1.0 may be projected beneath the base of the section 3 and engaged with the staple 8 to secure the collapsible bottom in collapsed or telescoped condition, as shown in Fig. 1, while upon the release of said fastener, the collapsible bottom will drop by gravity to an extended position, as illustrated in Fig. 2. If desired, a pad-lock 14, a retaining pin or other suitable holding means, may be engaged with the staple 8 to hold the fastener in retaining position, insuring the firm retention of the collapsible bottom in collapsed condition under the weight of the mail matter contained within the box. v

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the invention provides a mail box which is adapted for general use in rural delivery systems for both ordinary mail and parcel post storage, the collapsible and extensible bottom allowing the box to be elongated when required, to receive parcels or packages of considerable size, and it will be evident that when the telescopic bottom is in closed or open position, close joints wil be provided to prevent ingress of moisture By the construction described a simple, eff cient and inexpensive type of mail box for the purposes set forth is provided, allowing parcels which cannot be received ordinarily to be stored and protected from the Weather, the conveniences and advantages of which will be appreciated.

Having thus described our invention, We claim:

A letter box comprising a body adapted to be supported in a fixed position, a collapsible and expansible bottom for said stationary body, said bottom consisting of a plurality of telescopic sections, stops upon the bodv and sections for limiting the outward movement of the latter, a slotted keeper member upon the under side of the lower section of the bottom adjacent to one side thereof, and a fastening of elbow form, having a third vertical arm pivoted to the side of the stationary body at a distance above the bottom thereof, approximately equal to the length of said arm, and having a longer arm adapted to be extended beneath the lowermost telescopic bottom section, the free end of said longer arm being slotted to receive and engage the said slotted keeper member.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

HARRY ROSS l-IUTCl-HSON EVELYN URBANUS BAY.

Witnesses M. L. Hooosnn, W. W. WVHITMORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent:

Washington, D. C. 

